Weather Forecast

Monthly sales tax proceeds continue to beat projections

By Jan SchultzThe Imperial Republican If receipts from the city sales tax are an indication, residents here are supporting their local businesses. And, the income each month the city realizes continues to beat the projections by the Nebraska Department of Revenue made prior to start of the city tax. For the 13th time, the city sales tax receipts topped the $30,000 mark. In the most recent tallies for June, $32,328.75 was deposited in the city accounts from the one percent additional sales tax added on qualified purchases here. That total includes $3,331.81 from sales of motor vehicles. By law, that money is deposited in the city’s street fund. The rest is then split 50/50 between community projects and economic development efforts. Prior to April, 2007, when the city tax started, the state revenue department projected annual sales tax receipts of $275,000, or an average of $22,900 per month. Except for a few months early on, the city’s monthly receipts have far surpassed those projections. City Clerk/Administrator Jo Leyland said she hopes people are shopping locally. She does keep an eye on the traffic at some businesses here, and notices a lot of out-of-county plates on vehicles, too. Another situation playing into the tax receipts are the number of businesses that are outside of Imperial, including out-of-state, that are reporting Imperial city sales tax to the Department of Revenue. Customers receiving goods delivered or mailed within the city limits also pay the city tax, even though the retailer does not have an Imperial address. If requested, Leyland said the Department of Revenue provides a list of all businesses submitting the city sales tax if requested. “There are really quite a bit of them” from out of the area, Leyland said. When the state made its projections on Imperial’s sales tax receipts in early 2007, they used only retail sales from businesses with Imperial addresses, Leyland said.